Companies

Developer Biography

Mike Wilson - CEO, Producer

For the last twelve years, Mike Wilson has been an executive at the forefront of new media development, publishing, film and videogame production, and Internet marketing. Widely regarded as a pioneer and leading expert in development and marketing to the $30 billion computer and video game audience, Wilson has been featured in such high-profile publications as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, New York Daily News, Wired, and Texas Monthly. An entrepreneur in the highly volatile tech/entertainment industry, Mike prides himself on the fact that virtually every game industry company he has been a part of is still in existence and most are thriving.

Since November of 2002, Mike worked has dual roles in gaming and film. For 2 years he served as Executive Vice President of Artists and Repertoire for Take-Two Interactive’s Gathering label, leveraging his reputation with game developers worldwide to attract new talent and franchises to the label he started in 1998. In Dec of 2004 he reunited with Harry Miller to form Gone Off Deep Games, LLC. During the same time, he has produced two independent documentaries that will be commercially released in 2006.

In August 2001, Wilson co-founded SubstanceTV, a DVD-based video magazine devoted to short films and documentaries. As publisher, he cultivated relationships with filmmakers around the world and contributed to the production of numerous short documentaries.

As co-founder of Gathering of Developers (GodGames) and CEO from 1998 to 2001, Wilson created and established one of the most highly regarded worldwide brands in the crowded, rapidly-consolidating computer game publishing industry in the span of only two years. Gathering of Developers was sold to New York-based publisher Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) in May of 2000.

Prior to the Gathering’s creation, he co-founded and was named CEO of ION Storm, where he managed the creation and launch of one of the most high-profile game company brands in computer game industry history. He negotiated one of the most lucrative publishing contracts ever for the startup development team led by industry legend John Romero, and helped grow the organization from 8 to 88 employees during 1997.

Mike’s reputation for innovative marketing and distribution strategies was cemented during his tenure as Vice President of Marketing and Distribution for id Software, one of the most successful independent game developers in the world. From 1995 to December of 1996, he managed the company’s business and marketing affairs, overseeing its publishing relationships with GT Interactive (GTIS) and Activision (ATVI), while establishing distribution for id’s self-publishing efforts. He also directly managed the launch of the mega hit Quake series, as well as many products in the best-selling DOOM series.

Wilson entered the game industry in 1994, spending six months as Vice President of Development at IVS/DWANGO, the first nationwide online gaming service. During this time, he managed the company’s growth from a single-server, 4-man operation in Houston, TX, to a nationwide franchise operating in 22 markets in less than 6 months, establishing a foothold for the pioneering service that still exists today.

Mike studied PR and Journalism at Louisiana State University, and has been a featured speaker at major industry events and conferences including E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo), GDC, (Game Developer's Conference), SPA (Software Publishers Association) and others.